Elder, Estate Planning, & Special Needs Law News 

                                                                           October is  Special Needs Law Planning Month!

Shining a light and raising awareness regarding the importance of special needs law planning is at the heart of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (“NAELA”) decision to, again, designate October as Special Needs Law Planning Month.  Our very own Katie Lenert and Connie Renzi, long-time NAELA members, are delighted to join their fellow NAELA members in shining a light and helping individuals understand the importance of planning for the special needs of a loved one and/or for themselves.  Planning for special needs, whether for yourself or a loved one requires careful consideration, as the laws impacting such planning are complex.  For information (any time of the year, not just during October) regarding special needs planning, including options for trusts that may be incorporated and utilized as part of special needs planning, contact our office to schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys; or visit our website at: www.mickeywilson.com/estate-planning/special-needs-planning/. 

Open enrollment for Medicare kicked off on October 15, 2024 and will continue through December 7, 2024.  To learn more about the Medicare open enrollment period and new benefits on the horizon, check out the first article in this month’s newsletter.

Upcoming spotlight: next month’s newsletter will include a formal introduction to our new associate Lydia Park.  We are thrilled, and cannot wait for our clients, friends, and community to get to know Lydia. For now, though, we extend our congratulations to Lydia for having passed the Illinois Bar Exam!

                          Upcoming  Speaking  Engagements:

We are delighted to announce that Katie Lenert and Lydia Park will join forces to co-present at the Annual Elder Law Short Course, for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), on Monday, October 28, 2024. The title of their presentation is Spousal Medicaid Planning. During their presentation, Katie and Lydia will be educating their fellow attorneys regarding the basic long-term care Medicaid eligibility rules impacting spouses, as well viable planning options and other planning issues and considerations for spouses.

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                           Scheduling a presentation for your group:

Is your group in need of a speaker?  If so, please do not hesitate to contact our office to discuss topic options and to determine whether one of our presentation topics aligns with the needs of your group.

Legal Services:

Should you or someone you know wish to meet with one of our attorneys for assistance with (or to discuss options for): estate, life care, and/or long-term care planning; special needs planning; and/or, other planning matters, please do not hesitate to contact our office to schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys.  It would be our pleasure to meet with you to review your current planning and/or to discuss planning options for your consideration.

Additional Legal Services:

Selling and/or buying a new home; commercial property; and/or other real estate?

Starting a new business; or, need your corporate records updated?   

Recently injured, and uncertain of your rights? 

If any of the above apply to you, or someone you know, then please visit the website of our parent law firm, Mickey, Wilson, Weiler, Renzi, Lenert, & Julien, P.C., to learn more about the additional legal services we offer.

Reminder:  Out of an abundance of caution and to do our continued part in helping to keep our clients, staff, and their respective families as safe as possible, all non-signing appointments for our elder law clients and for our estate and life care planning clients with the following attorneys: Connie Renzi or Katie Lenert, remain "virtual" (via video or telephone conferencing). 

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Help for those who may be struggling with mental health issues:  If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues and needs assistance, help is available by calling or texting the recently launched three-digit dialing code – “988”. The new 988 dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, for mental health crises, is available throughout the United States.  Additionally, veterans can now dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veteran Crisis Line.